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The Maxxis Aggressor is a new tyre that’s not quite as burly as the company’s popular High Roller II, DHR II and DHF models, but has more bite than the Ardent. If you’re considering a new tread pattern for trail riding or enduro racing in dry conditions, the Aggressor is an excellent choice.

I tested the Aggressor in the 29x2.3 size with the with a tubeless-ready, EXO casing. (Maxxis also offers the Aggressor in a 27.5x2.3 version.) Weight for my pair of test tyres was 905g.

The EXO casing has proven quite durable, shrugging off numerous botched landings on square-edged rocks. Aggressive and heavier riders in need of even more protection should consider the Double Down (DD) version, which uses a 120tpi dual-ply construction and comes with a bump in weight of approximately 200g.

The Aggressor is not positioned as a rear-specific tread pattern, but this is where I found the tyre to really excel. I paired it with a Maxxis DHF front tyre and absolutely loved the performance and cornering characteristics. This has become my go-to tyre combination for dry conditions on loose and loose-over-hardpacked trails.

The channel between the center and side knobs isn’t overly wide, making it easy to finesse the tyre into turns without hitting a dead zone of traction.

As a front tyre, the Aggressor is good for hardpack and intermediate terrain, though the tightly-spaced blocks don’t dig in and hold as well as a knobbier tyre. The tight knob spacing and ribbed microtread also mean this tyre isn’t the best option if you frequently ride in wet or muddy conditions.

In any situation, the Aggressor is much more predictable tyre than the Maxxis Ardent, with larger side knobs that hold a line and well-positioned center knobs that roll with relative ease and provide plenty of traction when climbing or braking. It’s not a high volume tyre, however. While labeled as 2.3in wide, the Aggressor measures in at just 2.25in on a rim with an internal width of 30mm.

Summary

The Aggressor hits the bullseye for balancing traction, rolling resistance, weight and durability. While the Aggressor does a lot of things well, it positively shines as a rear tyre in dry conditions.

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Josh has been riding and racing mountain bikes since 1998. Being stubborn, endurance racing was a natural fit. Josh bankrolled his two-wheeled addiction by wrenching at various bike shops across the US for 10 years and even tried his hand at frame building. These days Josh spends most of his time riding the trails around his home in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Age: 35

Height: 170cm / 5'7"

Weight: 68kg / 150lb

Waist: 72cm / 30in

Chest: 91cm / 36in

Discipline: Mountain, cyclocross, road

Preferred Terrain: Anywhere with rock- and root-infested technical singletrack. He also enjoys unnecessarily long gravel races.